When can I collect the first eggs?

[urbanhomesteader_shiona]

My chickens have just begun to lay their first pullet eggs and I am very excited to collect them! However, I’ve heard that if you take the first egg, they will never lay in that spot again and they’re currently laying right where I want them to. How long should I wait and when I do begin collecting, can I take all of the eggs or do I still need to leave one?

 

[Buckingham Palace]

If you want you can leave fake eggs in all the nesting boxes to encourage them to lay there.

 

[urbanhomesteader_shiona]

If you want you can leave fake eggs in all the nesting boxes to encourage them to lay there.

But in the meantime, can I collect the eggs that they have laid? Currently there are 3 in one nesting box.

 

[Buckingham Palace]

Are they free range? I collected my girl's first egg but they are in a chicken tractor

 

[urbanhomesteader_shiona]

Are they free range? I collected my girl's first egg but they are in a chicken tractor

They are mostly in a run attached to their coop but sometimes they are allowed to free range in the backyard

 

[Buckingham Palace]

I think I should be fine. If you are worried you can put any round object in Them just to make sure.

 

[FunClucks]

Golf balls work as well as fake eggs for a lot of folks, though I've never tried them. I take all their eggs ASAP but they like the fake ones pretty good. After that first egg in the run for each of my chickens, they figure out what those sensations in their bodies mean, and they'll put it where they see the other "eggs". I love to watch them cuddle up with the fake eggs - they'll actually roll them under their bodies with their beaks and sit on them while laying their current egg.

Had one fake egg that was not a nice oval - it was made of ceramic and someone had smudged it up before drying so the surface had divots and a protrusion. The hens didn't like that egg at all and actually kicked it out of the nest box. I found it 2 feet away. So I took that one away.

 

[urbanhomesteader_shiona]

Thanks y’all!

 

[Mrs. K]

Even roundish rocks will work.